$1M Settlement: Care Facility Negligence Harms Child

Case Background

A lawsuit was initiated in the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County, against a residential care facility after a serious incident involving a resident and a minor living in the neighboring community. Plaintiffs Carlos Davis and his daughter, H.D. Doe, who was a minor represented by Mr. Davis, brought the action seeking compensation for the severe emotional and physical trauma the young girl endured. The case centered on a failure of supervision at a home operated by the Defendant, which housed individuals with known dangerous histories.

Cause

The central claim of the lawsuit was negligence and premises liability. The Plaintiffs asserted that the Defendant, HOME 2 U 9, LLC, which operated the residential care facility, had failed completely in its duty to supervise a specific resident known as "Mr. Golden." This resident was a registered sex offender who posed a recognizable danger to the public, particularly young children in the neighborhood. The Plaintiffs argued that the Defendant, knowing Mr. Golden’s background and propensities for sexual misconduct, had a fundamental duty to ensure he remained under constant and effective care. This duty was breached, the complaint stated, when the facility allowed Mr. Golden to leave the property unaccompanied in the early morning hours, around 5:00 a.m., while the facility’s overnight caregiver slept. This unsupervised exit directly preceded the incident involving H.D. Doe.

Injury

As a direct and devastating result of the Defendant’s failure to maintain proper supervision, H.D. Doe suffered significant and lasting harm. The complaint detailed that both H.D. Doe and Mr. Davis experienced great pain of mind and body. The minor Plaintiff, in particular, suffered severe emotional distress, anxiety, and depression. The filing also claimed that the injuries caused a loss of enjoyment of life and a loss of earning capacity for the minor Plaintiff moving forward.

Damages Sought

The complaint requested an award of compensatory damages to cover the extensive physical and emotional harm the Plaintiffs suffered. The exact total figure was left “according to proof” but the Plaintiffs pursued an amount that would fully compensate them for medical bills, therapy costs, pain, suffering, and the long-term impact on the minor’s life. The suit also requested an award to cover the costs the Plaintiffs incurred while pursuing the lawsuit.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

The lawsuit, Case No. 21STCV45625, began when the complaint was filed in December 2021. The Defendant, HOME 2 U 9, LLC, and related entities responded by denying the allegations, setting the stage for a contentious legal battle that involved extensive evidence gathering and expert analysis before the parties ultimately reached a resolution.

Legal Representation

Plaintiff(s): Carlos Davis and H.D. Doe, a minor by and through her guardian ad litem Carlos Davis.

·       Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Roger E. Booth | Carly L. Sanchez | Hannah M. Nachef

Defendant(s): HOME 2 U 9, LLC, and others.

·       Counsel for Defendant(s): Connie M. Fickel | Timothy M. Schowe | James J. Kjar

Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel

The Court proceedings involved sharp differences in how each side viewed the responsibility for the tragic event.

Claims

Counsel for the Plaintiffs argued forcefully that the Defendant, HOME 2 U 9, LLC, operated a residential facility that specialized in caring for high-risk individuals and, therefore, bore a heightened responsibility for public safety. They contended that the facility’s procedures were dangerously lax. The Plaintiffs maintained that the Defendant knew, or should have known, that leaving a known sex offender unsupervised created an immediate and unacceptable risk to the surrounding community. The Plaintiffs claimed the failure to keep the overnight staff awake and the subsequent early morning, unaccompanied departure of Mr. Golden represented gross negligence that directly led to H.D. Doe's injuries.

Defense

The defense team for HOME 2 U 9, LLC, countered the claims with a sweeping denial of liability. They consistently argued that the unfortunate incident was not their fault. The defense asserted that the independent criminal actions of Mr. Golden were unforeseeable and broke the chain of causation between the facility's operations and the harm H.D. Doe experienced. Furthermore, the defense raised numerous affirmative defenses, including assertions that the Plaintiffs shared some degree of comparative fault and that Mr. Golden’s specific actions were not within the range of foreseeable events the care facility was obligated to prevent. The defense sought to shield the facility from financial responsibility for the resident’s actions outside of the property.

Settlement

Just as the case prepared for a lengthy and emotionally taxing trial, the parties reached a resolution. After months of intense negotiation and discovery, including the exchange of key expert reports and depositions, the Defendant, HOME 2 U 9, LLC, and the Plaintiffs agreed to a confidential settlement. The parties ultimately resolved the dispute outside of a jury’s determination, and the Defendant agreed to pay the Plaintiffs a total of $1,000,000 to settle all claims arising from the incident. This settlement brought the high-stakes litigation to an end, ensuring the Plaintiffs received substantial compensation for their damages while allowing the Defendant to avoid the risk and public exposure of a jury trial. The settlement was reported as finalized in August 2025.

Court documents are available upon request at jurimatic@exlitem.com